Vibrator for compacting the bed and surfacing of roads



May 4, 1965 BRlGEL 3,181,442

VIBRATOR FOR COMPACTI NG THE BED AND SURFACING OF ROADS Filed April 5,1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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United States Patent 3,181,442 VIBRATOR FOR COMPACTING THE BED ANDSURFACING OF ROADS .liirg H. Brigel, Staufi'acherstrasse 96, Zurich,Switzerland Filed Apr. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 100,296

Claims priority, application Switzerland, Apr. 5, 1960,

3,836/60; Austria, July 22, 1960, A 5,628/60 1 Claim. ((31. 94-48) Thisinvention relates to a vibrator for use in compacting the bed andsurfacing of roads and comprises a plurality of juxtaposed compactingplates, each carrying a vibrating set.

In contradistinction to vibrators of the type hitherto known, theinvention is principally characterized in that each of the compactingplates is connected to a carrier portion attached to a vehicle, by atleast two toggle levers arranged in opposition to each other other, andof whose two legs are linked to each other and to the compacting plateor carrier portion, rubber-elastic elements being incorporated toelastically resist the movement of the joints in either direction.

Further features of the invention will appear from the followingdescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing whereinthere are shown, purely by way of example, a form of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an end view of a multi-plate vibrator attached to a vehicle;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the parts shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows, partly in end view and partly in section, a detail of thevibrator on a larger scale and taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 4 in thedirection of the arrows; and

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the same detail.

The disclosed multiplate vibrator enables the associated vehicle to bebetter utilized, inasmuch as the vibrator, when not being used, can beremoved from the vehicle in a relatively simple manner and the latter beemployed for other duties. The multiplate vibrator may also be attachedto a trailer, whereby a tractor or a similar traction vehicle may serveto pull it. Also in such case there is the advantage that, in periods ofnon-use of the vibrator, trailer and traction machine can be usednormally.

The road vibrator comprises a plurality of plates 101, 101a, arranged injuxtaposed relation, only the three middle ones of which are shown inFIG. 2. Each of said plates is connected through two pairs of oppositelydisposed toggles 102a, to a carrier portion in the form of a tubularaxle 103 common to all plates. The toggles each consist of a lower leg102a pivoted to the inclined section 101a of the plate, and an upper leg1021) made up of two parallel bars pivotally connected to a yoke part105. The yoke parts 105 are bolted to projections 103a welded to thetubular axle 103 (FIGS. 3 and 4). The toggle legs 102a and 10% areconnected to one another and to the plate 101, 101a or yoke parts 105 bymeans of joints 110 which, individually, are designed as follows:

Each yoke part 105 is provided with a square sleeve 1050. whichaccommodates four rubber-elastic elements 110a having embeddedtherebetween a substantially square joint pin 1020. Said rubber elementshave substantially the form of triangular prisms. One end of the jointpin 1020 has welded thereon one bar of the toggle leg 102b, whereas theother bar thereof is disconnectably mounted at the opposite end of saidjoint pin 1020 by means of a screw 102d, as shown in FIG. 4.

Each toggle leg 102:: carries at its two ends a square sleeveaccommodating four rubber elements 110:; in the form of triangularprisms, having embedded therebetween a square joint pin 1011a and 102respectively. The joint pin 1011) is removably attached by pins 101C tothe associated plate 101, 101a. The other joint pin 102 is EJMAQZPatented May 1%65 bored through longitudinally and fixed by means or abolt 102g and a nut 10211 between the bottom ends of the two bars oftoggle leg 10%. When the nut 10211 is loosened, the joint pin 102 may bechanged in its rotary position relative to the toggle leg 102b, and thenbe fixed again by tightening the nut 102k.

The tubular axle 103 is mounted on two stirrups 107 each of which, bymeans of a horizontal hinge-bolt 108, is pivotally arranged on adependent bracket 104a of a crossmember 104. The latter is fixed to thefront end of a motor vehicle, in a way not shown in greater detail. Saidcrossmember 104 further carries two upstanding brackets 104b each havingpivotally mounted thereon a hydraulic cylinder 112 by means of a jointbolt 114. Each cylinder 112 contains a piston, which can be loaded oneither side, and with its rod 11% connected through a joint 113a to oneand/or the other fork 107. To said cylinder 112 there are connectedpipes a and 1201) which, by a control valve 119, may be selectivelyconnected to a pipe 116 coming from the pump (not shown), or to a pipe120a leading to a liquid tank (also not shown) or may be shut offentirely.

Each plate 101, 101a has mounted thereon a vibrating set 122 with abuilt-in electric motor and rotating unbalanced masses. The cables 126,serve to feed the electric motor, controlled by switches (not shown) toa threephase generator which can be driven by a diesel engine. Thegenerator and the diesel engine (not shown) are arranged on the vehicle130.

According to FIG. 1, the hinge-bolts 108 have each pivotally supportedthereon a square member 131 which is bored lengthwise and embeddedbetween four rubberelastic elements 132 housed in a square sleeve of therespective fork 107.

Since all plates 101, 10101 are connected to a common carrier portion,such as the tubular axle 103, the pistons of the two hydraulic cylinders112 being always moved up and down or stopped at the same time and inrelation thereto, all plates 101, 1010: will be substantially lined upalways at the same level. Any difierences arising in the position of theplates only result from the movement of the joints 110. For this reason,when using the vibrator, one obtains, without undue effort and withoutany notable demand on the skill of the operator, a plane surface as tothe compacted material or of the soil.

But, if necessary, it is also possible to achieve a cambered surface ofthe ground. For this purpose, at least on one toggle pair of someplates, the bolts 102g of the middle joints 110 connecting the two legs102a and 102kof the toggles to each other are set to a rotary positiondiffering from that of the other plates. The modified rotary position ofthe joint bolts 102g will thus cause pressure stresses in the adjacentrubber elements 110a and thus endeavour to give the respective toggles adifferent position of rest. In this way it is possible to have some ofthe plates set into a higher or lower position or even into a sidewaysslanting position.

With the help of the two hydraulic cylinders 112, the tubular axle 103with the plates 101, 101a thereon can be moved not only upwards, butalso downwards by hydraulic pressure, in order thus to produce a higherpressure of the plates on the material being compacted. In FIG. 3 thereis shown in chain-dotted lines how the toggles 102a, 1021) are then moreinclined thus causing corresponding compressive stresses in the rubberelements 110a. The forces thus stored in the rubber elements 110:: theneffect an approximately uniform pressure of the plates on the ground,even should the latter exhibit appreciable unevennesses.

The rubber elements 110a keep vibrations away from the vehicle to agreat extent. Also the rubber ele- 3 V merits 132 around the joint pins108 of the forks 107 serve the same purpose.

It is understood that various changes and modifications may be made inthe embodiment illustrated and described herein without departing fromthe scope of the invention as defined by the following claim.

What I claim is:

A vibrator machine for compacting the bed and surfacing of roads,comprising a frame, a plurality of juxtaposed compacting plates eachhaving a vibrating means mounted thereon and at least two levers afiixedto each plate, a rod and carrier secured to the frame, two leversconnected to the rod and to the first-mentioned levers to form a togglelever pivotally joined to each other by means of a joint, the lower endof each toggle lever being pivotally connected to the compacting plateby means of a second joint and the upper end of each toggle lever beingpivotally connected to the carrier by means of a third joint, the twotoggle levers and the joints with the carrier and rod and its plateforming a substantially polygonal configuration in side elevation, a pinof non-circular cross-section With flat side portions for each jointWith each joint pin being fixed to one lever interconnected by thejoint, a plurality of rubber-elastic elements disposed adjacent saidflat side portions of each joint pin, means for securing saidrubber-elastic elements to the levers interconnected by the joint, saidrubberelastic elements of each joint elastically exerting resistance tothe movement of the joint in either direction, and a hydraulic cylinderand piston rod connected to the frame and the carrier to be loaded oneither side of the piston to move the rod up and down for raising theplates from the ground and positively pressing the plates on the ground.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS HENRY C.SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM I. MUSHAKE, JACOB L. NACKENOFF,

Examiners.

